Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Oxygen therapy benefit in autism

A decompression chamber may help children with autism, say
researchers.

After 40 hours of hyperbaric treatment autistic children showed
significant improvements in social interaction and eye contact
compared with controls.

The BMC Pediatrics study could not show if the results were
long-lasting but should prompt further investigation of the treatment,
the US team said.

One theory is that oxygen can help reduce inflammation and improve
flow of oxygen to brain tissue.

Hyperbaric treatment – effectively giving high concentrations of
oxygen at increased atmospheric pressure – has been shown to have some
benefit in other neurological conditions such as foetal alcohol
syndrome and cerebral palsy.

â?o We’re certainly not talking about a cure, we’re talking about
improvements in behaviour, improving certain functions and quality of
life �
Study leader, Dr Dan Rossignol

Some studies have looked at the treatment in children with autism but
they have not compared with a dummy procedure raising questions around
a “placebo effect”.

In the latest study, carried out at six centres in the US, 62 children
aged two to seven with autism were randomly assigned to receive 40
hours of treatment over a month with 24% oxygen at increased
atmospheric pressure (1.3 atm) or normal air in a slightly pressurised
room (1.03 atm).

Children who received the treatment showed significant improvements in
overall functioning, receptive language, social interaction, eye
contact, and sensory or cognitive awareness.

In all, 30% in the treatment group were rated by doctors as “very much
improved” or “much improved” compared with 8% of those in the control
group.

Overall, 80% in the treatment group improved compared with 38% of
controls.

Behaviour

Study leader, Dr Dan Rossignol from the International Child
Development Resource Centre, in Florida, said the use of hyperbaric
therapy for autism has been gaining popularity in the US where parents
can buy their own hyperbaric chamber if they have a spare $14-17,000.

He said the findings would be quite controversial and he too was
initially very sceptical of the idea but was prompted to do more
research after the treatment showed benefits for his two sons who have
autism.

“We’re certainly not talking about a cure, we’re talking about
improvements in behaviour, improving certain functions and quality of
life.

“The next step is to try to find out which kids do respond, because
it’s an expensive treatment – it may be that kids with more
inflammation respond better.

â?o We also don’t know about long-term effects – it could be a
transitory effect �
Richard Mills, Research Autism

“It would also be nice to know how long the treatment lasts, and the
finding needs to be confirmed.”

Richard Mills, research director at Research Autism, said this was the
first well-designed study looking at the therapy.

“We know this kind of therapy is useful in a number of neurological
conditions and that’s been well established.

“What we don’t know is how useful it is in autism, what we could be
seeing is an improvement in other neurological conditions that go
alongside autism.

“We also don’t know about long-term effects – it could be a transitory
effect.”

Professor Philip James, an expert in hyperbaric medicine at the
University of Dundee, said the pressure used was no more than that
used to pressurise an aircraft cabin on the ground.

He added that oxygen was the “controller of inflammation” but also had
other effects on regulation of genes and tissue regeneration.

But even if proven, the treatment may not be for everybody.

“When you have any condition, there are people who have too much
damage to get better.”

“All the oxygen is doing is bringing things towards normal.”

Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/7940149.stm

Published: 2009/03/14 00:14:24 GMT

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